Oh Jury Duty...

[gordonzola]

I thought I might luck out and not be called at all. On Monday and Tuesday they called groups 101-106. On Wednesday they called 108-110. Thursday: no groups at all! I started counting chickens.

Alas, they called my Group 107 for today at 12:30 PM. I thought this might work to my benefit right away. Judges and lawyers always have long weekend plans, right? I was hoping for a trial postponement and a thank you for service. I also thought, hmmmm, I could end up going to a room for a trail and the judge, still wanting the early start on the holiday weekend, might make us come back next week.

The latter is what happened. I know I shouldn’t complain too much because the jury system is much, much improved from the old days of hanging out in a jury room on call for a full week at a time. But still, why call us in just to dismiss us at 1:45 in the afternoon? I was totally in the mood for some hott voir dire action.

And damn, let me mention that the Civil Court jury room is plush. I’ve only been called for criminal jury duty previously and that was bare bones, messy, loud and confusing. 400 McCallister has like reclining chairs, masseuses, and waiters delivering drinks to your seat. Well, not exactly, but there is a noticeable difference. No one had to sit on the floor for one.

For the record, I have a feeling I am going to be empanelled. I’m not even trying to get out of it. It’s only a 5-day trial. I have no idea yet what it’s about (not that I could talk about it anyway), but hey, why not? I can afford it right now (my workplace pays half days for jury service) and actually can schedule work around some of it.

The last jury I was in the running for was a 6 week murder/kidnap trial conducted with Mandarin translation. That would have been a problem, money-wise and hassle-wise. Luckily I had plane tickets for five weeks away and could prove it.

Comments

[systemerror.livejournal.com]

I'm one of those weird people that is dissapointed by not getting on the jury. Then again, I've never been selected for one...

[commandercranky.livejournal.com]

If you can do it, it's definitely valuable to have someone with your politics and perspective on the jury (knowing nothing about the case, of course, I still think it stands as a general proposition). But, if you want out it wouldn't be that hard to do.

[existentialista.livejournal.com]

if your work will pay you for half days and you get a stipend from the court (here it is $17.50 a day), then its not a total loss...

...hope you get something interesting.

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

Call me crazy, but I love jury duty! If one could be a professional juror, I would totally do it.

[dcart.livejournal.com]

Commandercranky covered a lot of the reasons why I don't suppose I'll ever be on a jury as long as I live in the south and probably not ever, anywhere: a brother who has been incarcerated, a history of political activism, opposition to the death penalty and on top of that a graduate degree. I've received the summons card in the mail for jury duty once, but never even got to the stage of filling out a questionaire.